Offload card based virtualization of a pre-assembled computer system integrated into a server for a virtualization service

Abstract

A branded fleet server system includes a pre-assembled third-party computer system integrated into a chassis of the branded fleet server system. The pre-assembled third-party computer system is configured to execute proprietary software that is only licensed for use on branded hardware. A virtualization offloading component is included in the server chassis of the branded fleet server along with the pre-assembled third-party computer system. The virtualization offloading component acts as a bridge between the pre-assembled third-party computer system and a virtualized computing service. As such, the virtualization offloading component manages communications, security, metadata, etc. to allow the pre-assembled computer system to function as one of a fleet of virtualization hosts of the virtualized computing service.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A provider network, comprising:
 a plurality of servers configured to implement a virtualized computing service, wherein at least one of the servers comprises:
 a server chassis; 
 a pre-assembled computer system mounted in the server chassis, wherein the pre-assembled computer system is pre-assembled and pre-installed in a computer case of the pre-assembled computer system prior to being installed in the server chassis, and wherein virtualization management for computing instances hosted on the pre-assembled computer system is performed outside of the pre-assembled computer system via a virtualization offloading component; 
 the virtualization offloading component mounted external to the pre-assembled computer system, wherein the virtualization offloading component is configured to implement (a) one or more storage managers, and (b) one or more networking managers; and 
 a baseboard management controller external to the pre-assembled computer system and configured to couple the pre-assembled computer system to the virtualization offloading component, wherein the baseboard management controller is connected to the pre-assembled computer system via a plurality of input device connectors of the pre-assembled computer system, and wherein the baseboard management controller is configured to emulate input devices that would be connected to the pre-assembled computer system via the plurality of input device connectors, 
 
 wherein the virtualization offloading component is configured to:
 establish connectivity with a substrate network, wherein an encapsulation protocol implemented at virtualization offloading components of the plurality of servers of the virtualized computing service that are attached to the substrate network is used to transmit traffic to or from compute instances of the virtualized computing service implemented at the plurality of servers of the virtualized computing service; 
 cause the pre-assembled computer system to be presented as a virtualization host of the virtualized computing service available to host one or more compute instances of the virtualized computing service, wherein the pre-assembled computer system is linked to the substrate network only via the virtualization offloading component; and 
 initiate one or more configuration operations to implement a compute instance launched at the pre-assembled computer system on behalf of a client of the virtualized computing service, wherein the compute instance is configured to send and receive network traffic over the substrate network based, at least in part, on operations performed using the one or more networking managers of the virtualization offloading component, and wherein the compute instance is provided access to a root volume for booting the compute instance on the pre-assembled computer system based, at least in part, on operations performed by the one or more storage managers of the virtualization offloading component. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The provider network of  claim 1 , wherein the pre-assembled computer system is a computer system manufactured by Apple, Inc. 
     
     
       3. The provider network of  claim 1 , wherein the pre-assembled computer system is configured to operate using a first operating system and wherein at least one or more other ones of the servers of the virtualized computer service are configured to operate using a second operating system that is different from the first operating system. 
     
     
       4. The provider network of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a plurality of computing devices that implement a block storage service of the provider network, wherein the block storage service provides block-based storage to the compute instance launched at the pre-assembled computer system, and 
 wherein the one or more storage managers of the virtualization offloading component present the block-based storage service such that a block of storage of the block-based storage service appears to the pre-assembled computer system as a storage device attached to the pre-assembled computer system. 
 
     
     
       5. The provider network of  claim 1 , wherein the baseboard management controller is configured to:
 emulate, via the plurality of input device connectors of the pre-assembled computer system, a storage device or network device attached to the pre-assembled computer system; and 
 cause the pre-assembled computer system to perform a firmware update or a software update from the emulated storage device or the emulated network device; and 
 wherein the virtualization offloading component is configured to:
 verify that the firmware or software update is trusted; and 
 direct the baseboard management controller to cause the firmware update or the software update to be performed. 
 
 
     
     
       6. A server system, comprising:
 a server chassis; 
 a pre-assembled computer system mounted in the server chassis, wherein the pre-assembled computer system is pre-assembled and pre-installed in a computer case of the pre-assembled computer system prior to being installed in the server chassis, and wherein virtualization management for computing instances hosted on the pre-assembled computer system is performed outside of the pre-assembled computer system via a virtualization offloading component; 
 the virtualization offloading component mounted external to the pre-assembled computer system, wherein the virtualization offloading component is configured to implement (a) one or more storage managers, and (b) one or more networking managers; and 
 a baseboard management controller external to the pre-assembled computer system and configured to couple the pre-assembled computer system to the virtualization offloading component, wherein the baseboard management controller is connected to the pre-assembled computer system via a plurality of input device connectors of the pre-assembled computer system, and wherein the baseboard management controller is configured to emulate input devices that would be connected to the pre-assembled computer system via the plurality of input device connectors, 
 wherein the virtualization offloading component is configured to:
 initiate one or more configuration operations to implement a compute instance launched at the pre-assembled computer system on behalf of a client of the virtualized computing service, wherein the compute instance is configured to send and receive network traffic based, at least in part, on operations performed using the one or more networking managers of the virtualization offloading component, 
 
 and wherein the compute instance is provided access to a root volume to launch the compute instance based at least in part on operations performed by the one or more storage managers of the virtualization offloading component. 
 
     
     
       7. The server system of  claim 6 , wherein the pre-assembled computer system runs an OS (operating system) provided by Apple, Inc. 
     
     
       8. The server system of  claim 6 , further comprising:
 a plurality of connectors coupled to the virtualization offloading component, 
 wherein the virtualization offloading component is configured to extend a peripheral component interconnect express (PCIe) bus of the pre-assembled computer system outside of the computer case of the pre-assembled computer system, via cables coupled to a plurality of the ports of the pre-assembled computer system and coupled to the plurality of connectors of the virtualization offloading component, 
 wherein the virtualization offloading component is configured to communicate with the pre-assembled computer system via the extended PCIe bus. 
 
     
     
       9. The server system of  claim 8 , wherein the plurality of connectors is configured to transmit signals multiplexed from two or more internal PCIe interfaces of the pre-assembled computer system, and
 wherein the baseboard management controller comprises a communication interface configured to multiplex outgoing signals from two or more PCIe interfaces and de-multiplex incoming PCIe signals multiplexed from a plurality of PCIe interfaces, wherein the baseboard management controller is configured to provide the de-multiplexed incoming PCIe signals to the virtualization offloading component and receive outgoing PCIe signals to multiplex from the virtualization offloading component. 
 
     
     
       10. The server system of  claim 9 , wherein the communication interface of the baseboard management controller is a Thunderbolt interface that combines PCIe and DisplayPort into two serial signals and provides DC power in a single cable. 
     
     
       11. The server system of  claim 9 , wherein:
 the baseboard management controller includes one or more remote virtualization offloading controllers in communication with the virtualization offloading component, and 
 the virtualization offloading component is configured to, via the one or more remote virtualization offloading controllers:
 permit or inhibit status information or data about the pre-assembled computer system from being received at the baseboard management controller. 
 
 
     
     
       12. The server system of  claim 6 , wherein the virtualization offloading component comprises a root of trust component that ensures the server system is booted using trusted computing instructions. 
     
     
       13. The server system of  claim 12 , wherein the pre-assembled computer system comprises an internal root of trust component, wherein the root of trust component of the virtualization offloading component provides a separate layer of trust in addition to the root of trust of the pre-assembled computer system. 
     
     
       14. The server system of  claim 6 , wherein the baseboard management controller is configured to:
 emulate, via the plurality of input device connectors of the pre-assembled computer system, one or more of:
 a keyboard; 
 a mouse; or 
 a monitor, 
 
 such that the pre-assembled computer system senses a connection to an emulated keyboard, an emulated mouse, or an emulated monitor. 
 
     
     
       15. The server system of  claim 14 , wherein:
 the baseboard management controller includes one or more remote virtualization offloading controllers in communication with the virtualization offloading component, and 
 the virtualization offloading component is configured to, via the one or more remote virtualization offloading controllers:
 permit or inhibit the control commands from the baseboard management controller from being transmitted to cause the one or more control actions to be taken at the pre-assembled computer system or at the system management components. 
 
 
     
     
       16. A device, comprising:
 a server chassis; 
 a mounting device configured to secure a pre-assembled computer system in the server chassis, wherein the pre-assembled computer system is pre-assembled and pre-installed in a computer case of the pre-assembled computer system prior to being mounted in the mounting device, and wherein virtualization management for computing instances hosted on the pre-assembled computer system is performed outside of the pre-assembled computer system via a virtualization offloading component; 
 the virtualization offloading component mounted external to the pre-assembled computer system, wherein the virtualization offloading component is configured to implement (a) one or more storage managers, and (b) one or more networking managers; and 
 a baseboard management controller external to the pre-assembled computer system and configured to couple the pre-assembled computer system to the virtualization offloading component, wherein the baseboard management controller is connected to the pre-assembled computer system via a plurality of input device connectors of the pre-assembled computer system, and wherein the baseboard management controller is configured to emulate input devices that would be connected to the pre-assembled computer system via the plurality of input device connectors; 
 wherein the virtualization offloading component is configured to:
 initiate one or more configuration operations to implement a compute instance launched at the pre-assembled computer system mounted in the mounting device on behalf of a client of the virtualized computing service, wherein the compute instance is configured to send and receive network traffic based, at least in part, on operations performed using the one or more networking managers of the virtualization offloading component, and wherein the compute instance is provided access to a root volume to launch the compute instance based at least in part on operations performed by the one or more storage managers of the virtualization offloading component. 
 
 
     
     
       17. The device of  claim 16 , wherein the program instructions of the virtualization offloading component, when executed by the one or more processors of the virtualization offloading component:
 implement a local operating system for the virtualization offloading component; and 
 present a unified application programmatic interface (API) for the virtualization offloading component to a computing virtualization service. 
 
     
     
       18. The device of  claim 16 , wherein the program instructions of the virtualization offloading component, when executed by the one or more processors of the virtualization offloading component:
 manage, at least in part, packet routing for a virtual private network that includes a compute instance implemented on the pre-assembled computer system. 
 
     
     
       19. The device of  claim 16 , wherein the program instructions of the virtualization offloading component, when executed by the one or more processors of the virtualization offloading component:
 manage, at least in part, packet routing between a compute instance implemented on the pre-assembled computer system and a block-storage service that provides block storage to the compute instance. 
 
     
     
       20. The device of  claim 16 , wherein the program instructions of the virtualization offloading component, when executed by the one or more processors of the virtualization offloading component:
 implement, on the pre-assembled computer system, two or more compute instances allocated to two or more different clients of the virtualized computing service.